Why I Believe in Vampires [August 2005]

Before saying "vampires are real" or "vampires don't exist", one must define what a vampire is. There's as many definition of "vampire" as of "therianthrope". Some people try to differentiate by using different spellings (vampyre as opposed to vampire), or using different names (kindred, kheprian, etc). Some use "vampire" as a blanket term and simply specify within the category - pranic vampire, lifestyler, psychic vampire, sanguine vampire, energy/astral/emotional vampire... the list goes on.

Among the people I associate with offline, we use a couple different terms to differentiate: lifestyler, feeder, and psychic vampire (PV). Sometimes "feeder" is replaced with "energy vampire". I'll define the above as I use them.

"Lifestyler" means the same as on the online vampire community. Lifestylers are those individuals who are infatuated with the vampiric image. They're generally part of the goth subculture, wearing the leather, the trenchcoats, the capes; they have pale skin, they might wear fake fangs or colored contacts; some even go so far as to get their canines altered to look like fangs. These are the blood fetishists, the Anne Rice and Vampire: the Masquerade junkies, goths and roleplayers. They're generally found in goth clubs and sanguinariums. Some lifestylers are vampires, but not all are; some vampires are lifestylers, but not all. The vampires I know have little respect for lifestylers.

The second term used is "feeder", or sometimes "energy vampire". These are individuals who feed, which is to say they pull in energy beyond normal human intake or using methods differing from most people (such as drawing from psychic energy, energy from a living being, typically human). They may or may not have an energetic need, but if they do have such a need, it can likely be repaired, or they can get the required energy through more than one source. Feeders are those that pull in psychic energy without actually needing to. It might be an addiction (I've heard more than one person describe feeding as addictive), it might be that they think they require it, it might be they don't realize there are alternatives - there are many reasons that vary from feeder to feeder. The vampires I know have mixed reactions to feeders. Some say they're fakes, or immoral idiots playing games; others say they're all right as long as they feed responsibly. Most people feed unconsciously at some point in their lives, and some do so consciously; a "feeder" refers more to one who does so consistantly and usually consciously.

Then there are the psychic vampires. This is what I refer to when I say "vampire". They have an energetic need and have great difficulty drawing from the usual energy sources. Most people get the energy they need from food, sleep, and a fairly constant subconscious give-and-take with their environment. PVs cannot get the necessary or healthy amount of energy from these usual sources. They have an energy deficiency, and there are a few theories as to what causes it. I and a couple of the PVs I associate with tend to agree with the Kheprian (see Michelle Belanger's Psychic Vampire Codex) idea that this is caused by an altered chakra, usually a lower chakra such as the root. Call it a chakra, call it a wheel, an energy nexus, whatever you believe. For whatever reason, it's altered to the point where the PV can't draw on environmental/natural energy without great difficulty.

Would a PV sicken and die without feeding? I don't know; I don't think so. They can replenish their own energy stores and they can pull from environmental energy; the natural unconscious energy replenishment is simply defective, and it is extraordinarily difficult for them to pull from environmental energy. One PV I know gets splitting headaches if he pulls in earth energy; I don't know if the same goes for other PVs. Generally, however, PVs pull energy unconsciously when they get to a certain point of need. The PVs I know try to take care of themselves, feeding on ambient energy, psychic energy given off by peoples' emotions and actions. That's free-floating energy, and taking it will inconvenience no one. If the vampire gets too low on energy, he might feed on one individual, sometimes involuntarily. I've seen and experienced this, and it leaves the person being drawn from drained, tired, and lethargic until their energy stores replenish naturally.

The PVs I am familiar with (offline, they number eight) are almost all intelligent, logical people. Only one of them is even remotely goth, and she avoids the goth scene. They aren't obsessed with their nature; they live relatively normal lives; they range in age from 18 to mid-30's. Most, if not all, don't take part in the online vampire community. Some have psychological problems, some do not. A couple of them are the most stable, self-assured, well-adjusted people I know. At any rate, the PVs I am familiar with vary greatly in personality, background, outlook, and demeanor.

There are similarities, though. They all feed. They're all adamant (sometimes even obsessive) about self-control, to the point of being control freaks when it comes to themselves, their psyches, and their abilities. They're all arrogant on some level, even those with poor self-esteem, even though the arrogance might not be conscious or anything more than subtle.

What convinces me most that vampires are real, though, was the reaction I have had around every single one, usually before ever knowing they're PVs. I go into a shift instantly around vampires, beak flaring out and arms cramping back into wings. After becoming familiar with an individual PV, such as with three of the aforementioned eight, I'll usually only shift around them when their vampiric nature is brought to the forefront for whatever reason. I don't react to feeders like I do to PVs, so it's my thought that I'm reacting to the energy signature, or perhaps the altered chakra (which would contribute to the energy signature), or both. Yes, this is unsubstantiated personal gnosis, but I can only explain why I believe in vampires, not why others ought to.

So there's my take on vampires. Take it as you will.

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